Review:The Unholy by Heather Graham

Author: Heather Graham

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Date of Publication: June 2012

The 1940s: Hard-boiled detectives and femmes fatale are box-office gold. In one iconic scene, set in a deserted museum, the private eye arrives too late, and the buxom beauty is throttled by an ominous Egyptian priest. Now: The Black Box Cinema immortalizes Hollywood's Golden Age in its gallery of film noir tributes. But the mannequin of that Egyptian priest is hardly lifeless.

I have really liked the "Krewe of Hunters" series so far, but The Unholy (Krewe of Hunters #6)  was just an OK read for me.    I did enjoy the murder mystery with the "locked room" mystery plot. Those are always fun to try to figure out.  I really thought I had it all figured out, but I was way off base! I love when that happens!

I liked Madison's character and the idea that she can see and talk to dead people. I just couldn't get over the fact that Madison was visited by and talked to the ghost of Humphrey Bogart.  It made the whole thing a little hokey and I found myself taking the story a little less seriously...at least as seriously as you can take any ghost story. I think if a lesser known 40's or made up actor had been used I would have bought it more. It also could have been the narrator's poor imitation of Bogey's voice that irritated me as well.

The romance between Sean and Madison was just OK.  I didn't really feel it and thought it was a little forced. The book might have been better without it entirely.  Normally, I like a little romance in my paranormal suspense, but I would have been OK without it here.  I do look forward to reading the next one, The Unspoken, which was released back in July.